Savior Self
by TheRealRenee
Summary: // Chapter 10 now up \\ Melina deals with a short-lived fling's obsession with her. Melina/Morrison, Jillian/Hawkins, Batista, Cherry, Domino, others to be determined
1. Chapter 1

She smiled at the three words he'd just uttered through the phone.

_"I love you."_

But then, just as quickly, as she said the same back to him, she sighed. She loved her career but hated the distance that separated her from the man of her dreams, the love of her life.

"I'll see you on Wednesday, okay, baby? Sleep well."

"Okay," she said, managing a tiny smile again. She couldn't help it; he always seemed to lift her spirits.

The coversation ended, and Melina Perez ended the call, placing her cell phone on the bedside nightstand. She sighed again, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared up at the ceiling.

Home... She had just arrived there less than an hour earlier. She wished John was here with her, but he had ECW to tape tomorrow.

Despite them no longer being on the same WWE show, Melina was deliriously happy for her live-in beau. His career had positively skyrocketed when he'd been drafted to ECW. He'd undergone a sort of makeover, along with a change of ring name as well not too long ago. And, the brunette had to admit, "John Morrison" certain was more fitting of him, more true to John Hennigan's real nature and character. On top of that, he was the current ECW Champion, much to her delight.

They'd had a very romantic and hot night when John had defeated CM Punk to capture the gold on the night of the Vengeance pay-per-view. Melina smiled to herself, as just thinking about it was enough to get her a little hot and bothered.

She rose from the bed, making her way across the room to her suitcase, which was still as yet unpacked. She began sorting through her clothing when the house phone began to ring.

Melina looked up and checked her watch, confused. It was close to one in the morning. Who could be calling her now? She wondered if maybe it was Jillian and rolled her eyes in exasperation as she rose to answer it. That woman was just impossible. She might have been her best friend, but she was always trifling about stuff, usually men and lots of silly things.

"Hello, Jillian," Melina said, not even thinking the caller could be anyone else. After all, the blonde was notorious for calling her at anytime of night.

There was silence, followed by a sigh, on the other end. And then, that was followed by a soft chuckle that most definitely did not belong to her fellow diva friend. No... This laugh belonged to a man.

"Hello? Who is this?" the young woman asked. It was not lost on her that she was suddenly feeling a bit nervous, and she was about a moment away from hanging up. It was probably some jerk getting his jollies by giving her a crank call, anyway.

The soft laughter came again, and the brunette arched an eyebrow, thinking she might recognize the sound. But it couldn't be him, could it? She cleared her throat and spoke again.

"Dave?" Her heart began hammering away in her chest.

"Hello, Melina," came the response. "Yeah, it's Dave."

Although she thought she would have calmed considerably knowing she wasn't being stalked over the phone by some creep, she didn't know, the diva's nerves still felt frazzled. After all, it had been awhile since she'd really spoken to him. They hadn't really talked since their little fling.

Melina bit her lip as she struggled to regain her voice.

"What is it?"

Dave Batista laughed for the third time in the few seconds they'd been on the phone. It was hearty, booming, and at one time, the brunette had found his laughter to be music to her ears.

"Wow... Can't I call my friend to see how she's doing?" he asked. "I thought we _were_ remaining friends, Melina."

"Well, yeah... We were," she stammered. In spite of herself, Melina felt nervous beyond belief. Just this phone conversation alone - and it wasn't much of one - was extremely awkward. How was she supposed to actually continue a friendship with him, especially when she knew how they'd left things when the fling ended?

Dave began making small talk, which eventually led to wrestling. Melina listened with only half an ear as he went on and on about being World Heavyweight Champion until she finally couldn't take anymore.

"Listen, Dave... I hate to cut you off," she said, "but I'm really tired and need some sleep."

"Oh... Okay," Batista said after a brief hesitation. She heard him sigh on the other end. Then, "Good night."

"Good night." In a haste, the young woman hung up, confusion gripping her. She couldn't help but feel suspicious. What did he _really_ want?

As she got herself ready for bed, Melina was still wondering. She knew men, and knew what they wanted, especially from a woman. She shook her head at these thoughts, knowing that Dave knew full well that she had gotten back together with John almost immediately after she'd ended it with him.

As she slipped into bed and under her comfortable, warm blanket, a sense of foreboding she couldn't shake overtook her. She closed her eyes, willing it away.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Well, here it finally is, chapter 2. Thanks to Inday, SpiffytheSmark and wwwdivaxxx for reviewing the first one! Just to answer Inday's question and address Spiffy's remarks, nope, Melina does NOT still have feelings for Batista, and on top of that, she didn't even cheat on John (as you will discover while reading this chapter). Keep the reviews coming - you guys are awesome! ;)_**

Melina couldn't keep the smile off her face as she stood in wait. She folded her hands together in front of herself as she glanced over the crush of passengers. And in mere minutes, she saw him.

"John!" she cried, breaking into a small run as she met her boyfriend halfway. Other passengers returning to the airport smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Hey, baby," John Hennigan said softly, holding her closely against him with his left arm. His right hand still clutched the handle of his wheeled suitcase. He gave her a sweet kiss on the lips, just a peck for now, but he knew there would be plenty of time for a lot more later.

"How was your flight?" Melina asked, all smiles. They hadn't seen each other in three days, and it was always like this - she would wait in delicious anticipation, always meeting him at his gate at the airport on Wednesdays.

The young man grasped her small, dainty hand, and they walked. She looked so fresh and gorgeous, her long dark hair pulled back at the top, very little makeup on her face. She was wearing a lovely black silk Chinese-style dress with orange, red and blue designs embroidered into it. She smelled wonderful, a mixture of her honeysuckle shampoo and _Beautiful_ perfume.

"A lot better than expected," he replied. "They played _Weekend at Bernie's_!"

Melina laughed softly, rolling her eyes. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why her boyfriend considered that one of his favorite movies. She constantly enjoyed humor herself, but she was much more a _Beaches_ or _A League of Their Own_ girl. She leaned in closer to him.

"You must have been like a pig in shit!" she cracked in a loud whisper.

John nodded and roared with laughter.

They exited through automatic double doors and found themselves outside. Tons of taxi cabs were idling by on the curb, and drivers honked their horns to get the attention of potential fares. They ignored them, as Melina had driven there. She led John to the parking space where her car awaited.

"So, where to?" she asked as they got in. "Home? Or do you want to stop anywhere in particular first?"

Hennigan eyed her adoringly. She was such an amazing girlfriend, and he counted his lucky stars daily that he hadn't lost her.

"How about we stop for lunch on the way home?" he suggested. "Sushi sound good?"

The pretty brunette smiled and nodded.

"Of course." He knew sushi was one of her favorites. She put the key into the ignition and pulled out of the space. She knew exactly where they were going, as there was a nice little place they frequented whenever the mood hit.

As they drove, a silence fell over them. It was comfortable, and they had the radio droning in the background, but then Melina's head filled with the memory of two nights prior.

She hadn't heard from Dave again since then, but she couldn't help wondering... What did he want? He'd sounded so strange. He'd never sounded like that before, not even when she'd ended it with him.

More importantly, what if he were to call her again now that John was back home until the weekend? She hadn't told him about the call. She felt nervous about the prospect of doing so, too. Not surprisingly, he hadn't taken it well when she broke the news to him about her short-lived relationship with the other man. The thing of it was, she hadn't even cheated on John because they'd been broken up at the time. However, he'd been hurt when she'd told him she had been seeing Batista for awhile during their time apart. She had assured him that she'd ended it with the other man because she'd never stopped loving _him_.

This was a bad situation. What was she supposed to do if he _did_ call? She guessed she was being a tiny bit irrational. After all, she hadn't told Dave Batista to call her. He knew her situation. He knew she and John were back together, and she'd made it very clear to him how she felt about him.

"You okay?"

John's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife. She turned her head sharply in his direction, at the same time trying to focus on the road.

"Yeah... I'm fine," she lied, nodding and smiling for his benefit. For a split second, she considered just telling him about Monday night's phone call. But no... No, there wasn't any sense in unnecessarily upsetting him.

He smiled at her.

"Can't wait to get home," he said. A sly gleam came into his brown eyes. "Is it wrong that I'm looking more forward to _dessert_ than to lunch?"

That caused the brunette to let out a genuine chuckled. It quickly blossomed into a full-fledged grin.

"Nope... Not at all."


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: I'm so glad this story has gone over well so far - yay! And it's my first Melina fic. Thanks go out to laura, Inday, Girl On Fire and peace love peace for reviewing chapter 2. You guys rock! :)_**

Melina tossed some of her long dark hair over one shoulder and sifted through her bag. She had a diva tag match to take part in later on RAW and was searching for her royal blue and gold wrestling outfit when a tap on her shoulder suddenly caused her to jump a little.

"Whoa... It's only me. What's up with you tonight? You seem so jumpy."

The brunette shook her head as she looked into the friendly blue eyes of Jillian Fletcher. The blonde who was better known as Jillian Hall to wrestling fans held a dragonfruit Vitamin Water in each hand and offered one to Melina. She gladly accepted it and sighed.

"Sorry, Jill. I guess I _am_ a bit nervous." She averted her eyes as her mind returned to the incident the prior week, Dave calling her out of the blue that night. She hadn't told her best friend about that just yet. In fact, she hadn't told _anyone_ about it. But she knew that was about to change. Thanking the blonde for the drink, she cocked her head, her expression serious.

"Can I talk to you in private?"

"Of course." Jillian grabbed hold of her friend's wrist and instantly pulled her toward the locker room door to leave. There were too many other chattering divas around for them to talk in 'private' there.

Once they were out in the hallway, Melina fiddled with the cap of the bottle in her hand. This was going to be strange. Being her best friend, Jillian of course knew about her short-lived relationship with Batista. However, she couldn't shake the odd feeling that something was up, that there was more to that phone call than him just wanting to check up on her as 'friends.'

The moment they turned into a deserted corridor, Melina broke and spilled it.

"Last Monday night... Well, actually it was very early Tuesday - Dave called me."

Jillian eyed her with some surprise.

"Okay," she said, fully knowing her best friend would continue.

The dark-haired woman shook her head.

"It was kind of creepy, too, Jill - he didn't say anything when I said hello. I actually thought it was _you_ calling. Then, when I asked who it was, he just laughed." She closed her eyes, trying not to shudder at the memory. "It was like he was playing a game with me," she said.

"Wow," Jillian said. "What did he want?"

"Well, he said he was calling just to see how I was doing," the Latina replied. "But I got the feeling there was a lot more to it than that." This time, a chill crept up on her as the thought that the man known as 'The Animal' might have had sinister intentions came to her.

The blonde eyed her with sympathy. She knew things had been more than awkward for her friend after the breakup with the former World Champion, especially after she'd reconciled with John. She laid a comforting hand on the other woman's shoulder.

"Does John know about this?"

Melina's dark brown eyes looked almost haunted as she raised them and frowned.

"No," she said softly, "and I don't plan on telling him."

Jillian nodded, fully understanding. Although Hennigan knew Melina had briefly dated Dave when they'd been broken up, he hadn't been happy about it. No doubt, he would feel the same way about this news. On the other hand, she knew what she would do if she were in her friend's shoes.

"Melina," she began with a slight hesitation, "can I just make one little suggestion?"

"What?" the brunette inquired.

Jillian grabbed hold of her best friend's hand, her face full of concern.

"Tell John about this." When Melina's eyes widened in shock and she started shaking her head, the blonde woman elaborated. "You _know_ he'll understand. He knows you did nothing to invite this, and in the long run, it'll make your relationship stronger," she concluded.

The Latina continued to shake her head, and she puled her hand free of the other diva's and waved it in protest. How could she do as Jillian was suggesting? There was no way her boyfriend would take kindly to this news!

"I... I can't!" she exclaimed. She raised her head to meet the blonde's blue eyes, her own brown ones full of fear.

Jillian sighed, doing her best to comfort her friend as she patted her on the shoulder.

"Look, wasn't he very understanding when you told him about Dave after the two of you got back together?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Well, there you go," the blonde stated pointedly. "You two are back together, and you did nothing to invite that phone call. Besides, I would warn him about it," she said. "You know... just in case Batista decided to call back."

Melina stared at her best friend, anguish in her dark eyes.

Jillian grew exasperated by her silence and that look. She rolled her eyes heavenward, her hands going to her hips as she offered yet another scary scenario.

"You wouldn't want John to be the one to answer the phone if he calls again, would you?"

"What?" Melina's eyes widened again. "No!"

"Well, then...?"

The dark-haired diva let out a sigh of resignation. After a beat, she nodded and met her friend's bright blue eyes.

"Okay, point taken... Fine," she said with very little enthusiasm, "I'll tell him."

Jillian offered her a smile.

"Good. I'm telling you, you're worrying for nothing." She patted Melina's arm again. "By the way, I actually wanted to talk to you, too."

"Yeah?" Melina asked, arching one brow. "Well, what's up, Jill?"

The blonde couldn't contain her rather large smile. She actually looked giddy.

"I've got a date for Friday night!" She jumped a little, her long blonde curls bouncing as she did.

"Oh, really?" the brunette asked, a smile coming to her face. "Who with?"

"Curt Hawkins!" Jillian sang happily. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she continued. "Well, you know we've flirted a little and all that, but we got to talking awhile during last week's Supershow. I really like him, Mel."

"Aw, that's great, Jill!" Melina reached over and hugged her friend. Things were really going the blonde's way, and she hoped they would only get better from there. She loved Jillian to pieces and wished all the best for her.

She only wished things in her _own_ life would be the same way. Of course, she didn't know for certain, but she sensed disaster heading her way thanks to that unwanted phone call.


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: Thanks to LoveorHate14, Inday, Girl on Fire and Ainat for reviewing the last chapter. You guys rock! ;)_**

Kara Drew, who was better known as "Cherry" to wrestling fans, stood over a table at catering. Her breath was held as she tried to decide what kind of fruit to take. She wasn't hungry enough for a sandwich or salad, so she lingered over the fruit platter.

"See anything you like?"

The pretty blonde nearly jumped in surprise, whirling around at the voice. She settled down a bit, smiling as she met the dark eyes of Dave Batista.

"Yeah. I'm just not sure what I'm in the mood for."

The large, burly man allowed his gaze to rake over her curvaceous body at those words. He licked his lips as he brought his eyes back up.

Kara felt embarrassed, and maybe even a tiny bit offended. She knew Batista's reputation backstage, that being one of a womanizer. She didn't know him too well, and he'd always been decently nice toward her, but she wondered about the stories. Nervously, she gave him a little smile and finally made her choice. She turned back to the fruit platter, grabbing some strawberries as well as a few pineapple chunks.

Batista studied the swell of the woman's curvy hips as he took out his cell phone, flipping it open. He certainly didn't know Kara Drew all that well, but she sure was cute and had an amazing body. He continued to study her as he punched out a quick text message, then sent it to someone. He smirked and tried to be patient as he waited for a response.

"Jeez, Kara, _there_ you are!" a new voice rang out, and the blonde whipped her ponytailed head around to see Cliff Compton - Domino of her team, Deuce & Domino, step into the room.

"Hey," she said, offering him a bright smile.

"We're doing a segment in a few," the dark-haired man announced, hooking a thumb over his shoulder.

Kara's smile faded.

"We are?"

Cliff nodded.

"It's coming up after the next match. We'd better get a move on."

"Coming," she said sadly. They were friends, and they played siblings onscreen, but somehow, she got the feeling he looked at her as the latter _off_screen as well. Carrying her plate of fruit, she cast a smile Batista's way as she headed out.

Dave frowned as he watched the diva exit with the wrestler. He had just received a reply to the text message he'd sent, and he was not pleased with it.

_Sorry, can't. I'm hugely busy these days. Later._

His grip on his cell phone tightened so much that Dave Batista was a little surprised he didn't crush it. He considered sending her another text, asking just what she was "hugely busy" with but then thought better of it. He would bet she meant her pretty little boyfriend, anyway.

It pissed him off. What the hell was so special about that metrosexual little punk, anyway? So, big deal if he was the ECW Champion? He could have died laughing at that fact. He himself was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion - a _real_ champion, not some wannabe flash in the pan who'd come from _Tough Enough_.

His free hand clenched into a fist as he thought more about John Hennigan. As far as he was concerned, the man was precisely the reason he no longer had Melina. It was enough to make him sick. What did Hennigan have that he _didn't_? But the answer always came quickly right back to him - Melina.

--

"That was Dave, wasn't it?"

The brunette glanced Jillian's way as she drove, steering her car to perfection. They were both off, so they'd decided to make a day of it and opted on shopping.

"Yeah," Melina admitted. "It was. I sent him a reply that I've been hugely busy."

"Good. Maybe he'll actually take it to heart," the blonde said with a slight shrug. "Hey, look - we're here."

Melina followed her best friend's line of vision as they pulled into the mall's spacious parking lot. It would be great to go into _Lord & Taylor_, _Macy's_, _Express_ and a whole slew of other stores to shop. Shopping was one of her favorite hobbies, and it was sure to take her mind off of all the B.S. she'd had to deal with as of late.

Jillian quickly found an empty parking pace and expertly moved the car into it. Once done with that, the two women undid their seatbelts and hopped out of the vehicle.

"Okay, look," the busty blonde announced, a serious look on her face that made the Latina nervous, "you're helping me find an awesome dress for my date with Curt. And I'm _not_ taking 'no' for an answer! Come on!" She grabbed Melina by the hand, yanking her toward the mall's entrance in a hurry.

The brunette rolled her eyes but laughed goodheartedly. If dress shopping was all she had to worry about today, then it was shaping up to be quite a terrific day - minus the Batista text, of course.

About an hour later, Melina was happily shopping with her best friend in the world and had managed to put all unpleasantness from her mind. She was enjoying herself immensely as she stood just outside the fitting room as Jillian changed in what had to be the fiftieth dress she'd picked up.

She was overcome by a fitful of a laughter moments later as the blonde emerged donning a pink polka dot dress that was apparently two sizes too small. Jillian's more than ample breasts were stretching the fabric so much that she was unable to zipper the dress closed. On top of that, polka dots were definitely _not_ Jillian's style.

"I guess this one's a 'no,' huh?"

"You guessed correctly, Jill." Melina stopped laughing but placed a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry."

The blonde shrugged.

"It's okay. I know how awful I look in this thing."

And that was when Melina's cell phone suddenly rang. The two friends exchanged glances before the darker diva took a glimpse at the device's display. She groaned.

"Oh, Melina, I _told_ you you should have turned it off!"

"I know, I know... I just thought if John called... Ugh," Melina scoffed. She no longer had Dave's number in her address book, but she'd recognize it anywhere.

So much for the rest of the day going by flawlessly.


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Thanks to Ainat, Girl on Fire and LoveorHate14 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys rock! ;) And to answer LoveorHate14's question as to whether I'm going to incorporate Melina's injury from RAW into the story - I have been seriously considering it, and it may actually work very well. Most likely, the answer is yes, though it might take several chapters into it before it happens. :)_**

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, _damn it_!"

Dave Batista was so furious and frustrated that it took everything within him to not smash his cell phone to smithereens.

She hadn't answered her phone. She _knew_ it was he who was attempting to call her, yet she hadn't given him the courtesy of even answering. The very least she could have done was tell him she couldn't talk right now, and that she'd call him back when she had the chance.

What the hell was wrong with her?

_Doesn't she love me anymore_? he wondered, actually feeling badly enough to cry. It would look weird, to say the least, if a big, tough, burly man like himself were to bawl like a little kid. Sure, he'd done that when Eddy Guerrero had died, but that was different. He _never_ cried over a woman, not even his two ex-wives. Why was Melina Perez so different that she was having this type of effect on him?

Not for the first time, Batista wondered what she was doing, and who she was with... It was Wednesday, a day off for all the WWE superstars of all three brands. To that end, he once again guessed she was probably spending her time with her skinny twig of a pretty boy boyfriend. He scowled at the mere thought of John Hennigan, his right hand clenching into a fist. How could she leave _him_, only to go back to that little punk? It simply made no sense. Dave thought about getting Hennigan in the ring for a match, and hurting his handsome face. Maybe he could rearrange it so that Melina would be repulsed and would no longer want to be with him. And why _would_ she, when she could have a _real_ man like himself?

With those thoughts, the tattooed, muscled man dropped his cell phone onto the sofa. From there, he moved farther into the room to examine his reflection in the large mirror hanging up on the wall. A smirk came to his face as he raised an arm, flexing and posing. His muscles were huge and impressive. How could any woman refuse him? Busy his ass!

If it was the last thing he did, he would make sure that Melina saw him in that light again... He would see to it that she wanted him as much as he _craved_ her.

--

"I can't believe this," Melina said for the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes. She fanned herself with her left hand while her right held a cup full of diet Sprite with loads of ice in it. She slowly sipped more of the soda, hoping she would feel better.

"Relax, Mel. It's gonna be _fine_." Jillian reached across the small table and grasped her hand, offering support. "It's not like he's here in your face. But I _do_ think you're going to have to tell him face-to-face that this has to end."

They were in the mall's food court, catching a breather after the blonde failed to find a dress at _Lord & Taylor_. When Dave had called, Melina had sort of panicked, and she'd needed something to drink, to cool off and calm her nerves.

"I guess you're right," she said as she met her friend's blue eyes. She dreaded the thought of having to face him directly, but what other choice did she have? She didn't want Batista calling her all the time and certainly couldn't afford that should John answer the phone.

"And I know you're not going to like what I'm about to say," Jillian began, "but I'm going to reassert that I really think you need to tell John about this." In spite of the expression on her best friend's face, she continued. "He _has_ to know... It's only gonna get worse if he doesn't. You _know_ that, Melina." Sympathy washed over at her at the look of fear in the other woman's dark brown eyes. "You're lucky - you have a very cool, understanding boyfriend," the blonde pointed out. "I know he'll be one-hundred percent on your side if you explain to him what's been going on lately."

Melina lowered her gaze for a beat as she absorbed what her best friend said. She knew Jillian was right. She lifted her orbs so that they met the other diva's and nodded.

"You're right... You're always right, Jill. I'm lucky to have a friend as wise as you."

Jillian smiled and waved a hand at her.

"Aw, shucks!"

Melina giggled along with her.

"Fine... Yes, I'll tell John tonight, when I get home. No stalling." The serious and worried expression returned to her face. "I just hope he doesn't blame me or think I invited Dave's sudden constant attention," she murmured.

"Nah. He'll know you didn't do that."

The brunette nodded absently, but she wasn't completely convinced. If Dave Batista did anything - anything at all to ruin her relationship - she didn't know _what_ she might do.

Her best friend's voice suddenly cut into her thoughts.

"C'mon," Jillian said, and she stood back up. "We still haven't found my perfect dress. And I wanna go to _Victoria's Secret_ before we head back home!" She grabbed Melina's hand and tugged her away.


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Thanks to LoveorHate14, Dizzle the Lord of Superstars and Girl on Fire for reviewing the last chapter. You guys rock! :) Hmm, and as for Dizzle's question as to whether or not Edge and Zack Ryder will be making an appearance in this story... I haven't decided yet, but they may, given their friendship with Curt Hawkins. ;)_**

Melina said goodbye to Jillian and turned to make her way up the walk to the house. She turned back as she dug out her key in front of the door to see her best friend wave. She raised her free hand, waving back.

As she unlocked the door, she knew John had returned home. She could hear the TV playing in the living room. She toted the only bag of purchases she'd made earlier in the day, her stomach doing little flip-flops.

Her boyfriend looked up to see her just entering the room. His entire face just about lit up.

"There's my beautiful girl!" he sang. Hennigan rose to meet her halfway and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Afterward, he led her by the hand to the sofa.

"How'd it go today?" he asked, pointedly eyeing the bag she held.

It took Melina a few seconds to realize he was talking about the shopping excursion she and Jillian had gone on. Damn it. Her mind really was about a million miles away. She had to tell him now, no matter what. Whether she liked it or not, she had no choice. He had a right to know, and on top of that, she'd just continue being a distracted, worried mess the longer she kept it from him.

"Not too bad," she replied, offering him a nervous smile. She sat down beside him and dropped the shopping bag at her feet. "Jillian finally found a dress for her date on Friday night. All I got were a few hair products and a pair of new shoes."

"Cool," John said. "Let's see 'em." He pointed toward the bag at her feet.

"Later," she blurted, placing a hand on his knee. She swallowed hard, knowing from his facial expression that he was onto something because of her urgency. "I need to tell you something, John... But please - please, don't get angry." She eyed him pleadingly.

The dark-haired man gave her a questioning look. He rarely, if ever, saw his girlfriend like this. Melina Perez was a very confident woman, and she didn't keep secrets from him. They were very open in their relationship and had mutual trust and respect for one another. What could have possibly happened to have her appearing nervous, unsure and... scared to talk to him?

"Okay," John said. He sat back a bit more, facing her and trying to brace himself. She looked so worried and hesitant as she took a deep breath and then exhaled it. A thought suddenly struck him. "Hey, you're not... pregnant?"

Melina's face reflected vast surprise at that suggestion, and she laughed, shaking her head.

"No... No, I'm not pregnant," the brunette said. "It's nothing like that." She hesitated again for a beat, then, "Okay... Dave called me the other night. I didn't even want to speak to him, but then he called again, and he's called my cell a few times today, and..." Melina knew she was babbling, but she often did that when she was nervous.

"Whoa, whoa," Hennigan cut in, making a 'time-out' gesture with his hands. "First things first - you're talking about Dave Batista?"

She nodded uneasily. She was full of fear at the thought that he wouldn't believe she hadn't invited a phone call from the other man. She could feel that she might break down and cry at any moment but held back the tears.

"Okay, so the same Dave Batista you dated very briefly called you." John ran a hand through his long brown hair and eyed her seriously. "When did he first call?"

"Monday night, early Tuesday."

"_I_ called you Monday night, early Tuesday."

Melina bit her lip and nodded.

"I know... He called right after you and I hung up." She looked him squarely in the eyes. "I thought it was Jillian. I even answered by saying, 'Hi, Jillian.'"

The dark-haired man was silent for a few minutes. He wasn't exactly convinced that his girlfriend had done anything to provoke an ex calling her, but he wasn't sure, either.

"So... What did he want?"

Melina crossed one leg under the other as she faced him.

"He said he wanted to find out how I was doing." She rolled her eyes. "But as I said, he called me a few times today while I was out with Jillian." She suddenly reached into her bag, sifting out her cell phone, which was still turned off. "See?" she said, holding the device out for him to examine. "I shut off my phone because of him. He kept calling, but I only answered the first time." She searched her boyfriend's brown eyes for a sign that he believed her.

"Okay."

Melina felt crushed as she thought she heard suspicion in that single word. She turned the cell phone on, determined to listen to whatever messages Batista had left. She wanted John to hear them as well. A quick glance at the device's display told her she had six new voicemails. Damn it, he'd called _that_ many more times?

"John, look," she said, showing him the phone. "I think we should _both_ listen to these. I may have to change my number now, and-"

"Melina," his voice cut her off quickly, "I want to ask you a very serious question."

The brunette paused with the pad of her thumb about to press a button. Her gaze locked expectantly with his.

"Have you ever cheated on me with Batista? Back then, recently, now... ever?"

Her eyes widened with shock at the suggestion. And again, she felt tears behind her eyelids but wouldn't allow them to fall.

"Absolutely not," she answered truthfully. She reached over for her boyfriend's hand. "I both swear and promise to you, John... I have been completely faithful to you - _always_."

Hennigan gazed into her face, into those brown soulful eyes. And he knew at once that she was being honest with him. He felt lousy for having doubted her for a minute there. He remained silent for a moment as he kept his gaze locked on her. She seemed on the verge of tears, certainly concerned at what he might be thinking. Finally, he caressed her hand and spoke.

"I'm sorry for being suspicious," he murmured. "I love you, Melina."

"Oh, John... I love you so much!" she cried. She allowed him to pull her closer, and their lips met in a passionate kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: Sorry it took a full month to finally update again. I should have another update in a considerably shorter time next time around. Thanks go out to Girl on Fire, Twilight Owns me and Dizzle the Lord of Superstars for the reviews of the last chapter! :)_**

Melina bit her lip as the sudden ringing of her cell phone startled her.

_Oh, no_, she thought furiously, _not_ again! Hoping that her instincts were wrong, the brunette reached into her bag for her cell phone.

Jillian studied her best friend silently for a beat. Then, "It's him again, isn't it?"

The Paparazzi Princess nodded. She wondered whether or not she should answer. If she didn't, he would only end up calling back later.

As the blonde rolled her eyes, Melina made up her mind. Flipping her cell phone open, she pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked with impatience.

"Hello, beautiful," came Dave's response. "How are you?"

The Latina beauty shook her head in spite of the fact that the man couldn't see her.

"I'm fine, Dave," she replied. "Except that you keep calling me."

He laughed on the other end. It sounded very much like a dismissive tone.

"Well, if you would answer your phone more often, I wouldn't have to keep calling you."

Melina met Jillian's blue eyes and frowned, shaking her head. The guy just didn't get it, did he?

"Where are you right now?" Batista questioned, changing the subject.

"At a hotel, and I'm not alone."

There was a slight silence before he spoke again.

"Oh? Loverboy come to meet up with you?"

The brunette officially became angry thanks to that question.

"No," she answered sharply. "Not that it's any of your business, but Jillian's the one here with me."

Batista laughed yet again. Melina was beginning to realize that he did that quite a lot. And at times, it was almost a giggle. She didn't know women who did that half as much as he did!

"Oh, I get it," he remarked. "A little girl-on-girl action, huh? Mmm, I wish I could be there."

This time, Melina grew outraged. She felt so offended, she moved the phone from her ear for a beat to glare, open-mouthed at it. She placed it back against her ear as Jillian whispered, 'What?' to her.

"That's disgusting, Dave! And I don't appreciate that little innuendo."

"Wow... Chill out, Mel, seriously."

"And don't call me 'Mel!' I'll do one better... Don't _call_ me at all!" she snapped.

The blonde sitting on the other bed nearby raised her eyebrows in surprise. It seemed as though whatever he'd said, it had definitely pushed Melina over the edge and to the point of standing up against him.

"Whoa, what's with the attitude?" the man questioned. "I was only joking."

"Yeah? Well, I don't like those kind of jokes. And Dave, regardless of that... this has _got_ to stop."

He was silent for a beat. Then, "Hold on there a minute." His voice was now serious. "I thought we were friends, Melina... The way you're treating me is no way to treat a friend."

She closed her eyes and sighed. He was so annoying. She now saw that she had made a huge mistake in ever dating him, even though it had been for so short a time and not at all serious. She knew this should have been done face-to-face rather than over the phone, but it was getting unbearable.

"I don't believe this," he said a moment later, his tone now totally devoid of humor, "I thought we meant something to each other, Melina."

She sighed uneasily and said, "We did - for a little while. Dave, things are different, and you have to respect that. I'm back with John, and I love him. I know it hurts for you to hear that, but it's the way things are." She glanced over at Jillian, who was still watching her as she sat on the edge of the other bed. The blonde held a thumbs-up for her. "It's _reality_," she concluded.

Batista hesitated yet again, then said, "Well, I guess that's the way it is, then. You really disappoint me."

She frowned, although he couldn't see her face.

"Excuse me?"

"_You_ were the one who said we would still be friends," the bitter man pointed out. "No matter what happened."

The brunette rolled her eyes heavenward. Damn it, she was beginning to feel the first strains of a headache. And on top of that, she really needed to get some sleep, as did Jillian, as they had an early flight the next day.

"Things change, Dave," she said, keeping her voice firm this time. "And, given the circumstances, it wouldn't be a good idea." She didn't give voice to her thought, _Plus, the fact that you've been acting like a freakin'_ stalker _these past couple of weeks_!

She heard him sigh on the other end. He sounded tired and defeated, but Melina didn't feel one bit sorry about it. Nor did she regret putting the man in his place once and for all. She glanced over at her best friend again, and this time, Jillian was silently, softly clapping, a proud smile on her face. She knew John would be happy when he heard about this as well.

"That all being said, I really have to go."

"Well... fine."

"Goodbye, Dave," she said.

"Don't you mean goodnight?" he asked.

She shook her head lightly. He sounded so desperate and pathetic.

"No," she replied. "I mean _goodbye_." With that, she moved the cell phone from her ear and folded it to a close. She gazed over at Jillian, who, much like an excited and giddy teenager, burst into a fit of giggles. Melina smiled.

"That _rocked_!" the blonde cried, rushing over to hug her friend. She looked the Latina over. "You should really be proud of yourself, you know."

"Yeah, I am," the brunette replied truthfully. She let out a sigh of relief. She never thought she'd find the guts, but she supposed she finally put Dave Batista in his place. It felt good to get some closure.

She had no idea that it would mark the beginning of a whole new nightmare.


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N: Thanks to Twilight Owns me, Dizzle the Lord of Superstars and Girl on Fire for reviewing that last chapter. You guys reek of awesomeness! :) To answer Dizzle's question, or rather, concern - yes, I'm very aware I haven't incorporated Hawkins into this yet, which was a blunder on my part. :-\ I WILL, however, be sure to write him in soon enough, and that's a promise! Since Jillian is a prominent character and Hawkins will be her boyfriend in this story, he will definitely be around. I'll be sure to have him appear especially in the SmackDown-oriented chapters. ;) Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this new chapter - Batista is causing some trouble for a certain diva, but this time it's not Melina..._**

Dave held back a groan somehow as he pounded on the lockers with both fists. Why was it that this was bothering him so much? Why should he care? It wasn't as though he couldn't get any woman he wanted at the drop of a hat.

Unfortunately, the woman he wanted was Melina... and she _didn't_ want him. No - she wanted her little, skinny, pretty boyfriend, that Hennigan character. And she wanted _him_ to stop calling her, leave her alone.

"Damn it!" he said aloud, between heavily clenched teeth. "I'm Dave Batista - no chick rejects _me_! They come flocking to me!"

Usually, chanting such a mantra would have cheered him up in a hurry. That didn't seem to be the case this time, though. He let out a soft snarl of frustration.

Giving the locker a good, hard, swift kick, he turned to leave the room. He could certainly use a drink right about then, but it was against the rules at work. SmackDown was being taped tonight, and he had to be on top form. Besides, he didn't want to let down any of the fans who had paid their hard-earned money to come see him live.

Batista trod the hallway, making a beeline for the catering room.

Immediately upon entering, he noticed one of the divas standing at a table that was set up with food. She was blonde, and her back was to him. His gaze trailed over to a table across the room. Four male superstars sat there, conversing about nothing in particular.

He focused again on the feminine form to his left, licking his lips for a split second. Making a move on another woman would surely get his mind off of Melina - the _ice queen_ - in a hurry. Slowly, he approached, moving forward until he was mere inches away.

"Oh!" Michelle McCool turned around, startled as she nearly bumped into him. "Excuse me, Dave." She smiled.

"Hi, Michelle," he said with little enthusiasm. He honestly hadn't realized it was _her_, but one thing he knew without a doubt, was that he would never make a move on Michelle McCool - not when the man better known as The Undertaker, Mark Calloway, was her boyfriend. He wasn't afraid of many men in the WWE, but Mark was a definite exception. A tough, huge veteran, he knew the guy could take him apart.

As Michelle moved past him to leave the room, Batista took a deep breath and sighed. He was beginning to calm down just an iota or so, but he was still heavily wound up. He grabbed some fruit, piled it on a plate and then turned. Yet another woman, another blonde, at that, had walked in when his back had been turned. She was at the next table over, and she was considerably curvier than McCool. He allowed his eyes to linger over her body as he approached.

"Hey there, Kara."

The pretty blonde looked up to see him smiling easily at her.

"Hi, Dave," she said. She looked uncertain for a few seconds but then smiled at him.

"How's it going, girl?" he asked. He circled her, giving her the once-over as she stood there with a bottle of water in her hand.

"Fine," she replied curtly. Her gaze dropped to the floor, which made Batista chuckle just a bit. It seemed Miss Kara Drew had shyness in common with her in-ring character, Cherry. He liked that and thought she was a real cutie.

"So..." he said, something cooking up in his mind as he tried to force back thoughts and anger over Melina's rejection. Somehow, he kept the smile on his face. "... Kara, I was wondering..."

The blonde eyed him curiously, and he wondered if she were completely guileless or reading his mind.

"... Can I take you out sometime?" he went on. "I'd love to show you a great time."

Kara's face brightened into another lovely smile. Was Dave Batista really asking her on a date? She'd never thought about him in that way, but it definitely felt nice. And while she'd had a crush on someone else on the roster for quite awhile now, and longer than he or herself had even been up on SmackDown, he'd never looked at her that way... So, the way she saw it, this would be a good way to move on.

"Sure, I'd like that."

Now, Dave straight out grinned. That was just precisely the response he'd wanted to hear. And how could she _not_ say yes? What woman could ever turn him down? Melina's face flashed through his mind quickly, but he blinked the image away.

"Great. How about Thursday, after the houseshow?"

"Sounds good," Kara agreed.

Unfortunately, the blonde didn't see the man just outside of catering. He'd overheard their exchange, and his heart sank thanks to that.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Holy cow, I am SO sorry it's taken me more than a YEAR and closer to a YEAR AND A HALF to update this story! :-O I have had this chapter sitting around in a notepad for so long, and I've finally gotten around to putting it up. Thank you to Girl on Fire and Deidarakiller for the last reviews. I hope after all this time, I still have some readers left! Anyhow, hold on and enjoy the ride of this new chapter. :) **_

Melina groaned as she took a quick glimpse at her cell phone's display.

"Oh, I don't believe this..." she muttered. She drew the attention of Jillian, who was changing into her ring gear nearby. The busty blonde slipped her top over her head and in place as she eyed her.

"What?"

The Latina turned to face her best friend, holding up her phone to show her what had her so upset.

"This!" She shook her head. "He sent me a text message! You would think he would get it by now."

Jillian rolled her eyes.

"At least he hasn't called you," she reasoned. "So, just read it, laugh and hit 'Delete,' that's all."

Melina gave her a look. But she knew the other woman was right - everything she'd just suggested _was_ pretty much all she could do. She pressed the button that would enable her to read Batista's message and read it.

_Just so you know, I'm moving on. You blew it big time, baby!_

"Oh, brother!" the brunette said. She rolled her eyes like her best friend had done and showed the message to Jillian to read.

Jillian actually let out a small laugh. She turned her blue eyes on Melina and said, "Well, this is a good thing!"

"Only if it's _true_," the Latina replied. She honestly didn't know. Dave was pretty adept at fabricating the truth when it would benefit him. While she had liked him a lot at one point, she knew this to be a one-hundred percent undisputed fact.

"Maybe it is," Jillian offered. "Think positively, Mel... He's probably found another girl to obsess over. That's great news! Now you can just go back to focusing on your relationship with John."

"I guess." Melina wanted to do exactly as her friend was saying, but something just nagged at her. Her gut feeling was telling her that it wasn't quite so cut and dry, and that something more was going to happen with Dave. As much as she wanted to ignore that sense, she simply couldn't.

"Are you going to respond to him?"

The brunette met Jillian's curious blue eyes and flipped her cell phone to a close. She shook her head.

"Not a chance," she said. Yes, it was probably best that she put everything having to do with Batista out of her mind. After all, why should she have to deal with the stress? "Let's go to catering - I'm hungry."

The blonde smiled, nodding, and they were off.

* * *

Off in another city but in the same state, the SmackDown roster had a houseshow. Kara Drew stood in front of the vanity mirror in the divas' locker room, examining her hair and makeup.

"Hey, Kara... You've got a visitor just outside."

The pretty blonde turned to meet Lisa Marie Varon's eyes. The dark-haired woman had a thumb hooked over her shoulder, pointing in the direction of the door.

"Oh, cool... Thanks, Lisa."

She stepped away from the mirror and made a beeline for the door, wondering who wanted to see her. Maybe it was Dave. A small smile graced her lips at that thought. It was funny, though... She really hadn't given much thought to him until he'd expressed an interest in her. But then, she had always been the type who started to really like someone when they liked her first.

As Kara peered out just beyond the doorway of the women's locker room, she caught sight of him... It was not Dave Batista but another man with whom she had a certain relationship. He stood there in his ring gear, arms lightly crossed over his chest as he leaned somewhat casually against the wall.

"Cliff... Hi," she said in a small voice. She offered him a shy smile. "What's up?"

"Well..." The man appeared momentarily uncomfortable and shifted, running a hand through his shaggy dark locks. "It's probably none of my business at all, but... Kara, there's been a rumor going around the back about you."

Her eyes widened.

"Wh-What rumor?"

Cliff Compton bowed his head for a beat, then raised his gaze to meet her blue eyes.

"About you and Dave Batista... Are you dating him?" He held back the additional words in his head, not wanting to overstep any boundaries with the woman.

Kara blushed in an instant, lowering her head shyly for just a moment, Then, a small smile managed to find its way back to her lips. She nodded.

"I guess you can say that," she admitted. "Well, not _yet_, but he did ask me out the other day. We're going out on Friday, after the houseshow."

"Oh," was all Cliff could manage. He wanted to curse because he'd hoped it wasn't true. However, he didn't want to spoil any of the blonde's apparent happiness, so he smiled. "Oh, good for you." He knew that sounded very lame, but he couldn't quite help it.

"Thank you." Kara met his brown eyes and smiled.

Their eye contact seemed to last an awfully long time, until she finally turned away. She gestured toward the locker room door just behind her and to the right.

"Well, I'd better-"

"Yeah, you go and finish up," Cliff said, nodding. "We'll meet up later."

The blonde nodded as well and smiled.

"Yes." She turned around and went back into the women's locker room, and for some reason, her heart was positively hammering.

Back out in the arena hallway, Cliff Compton was just lingering by the room into which Kara Drew had just returned. He couldn't help but feel a sinking sensation, one that ran from his chest down to his stomach. It was the feeling of deep regret, and it really stung.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Thanks to Deidarakiller for the last review! :) Hopefully this new chapter will garner some more reviews... The story will definitely pick up in the next installment. Anyhow, enjoy!**_

Melina tried her best to ignore the uneasy sensation in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't a simple task, however, given the circumstances.

In vast contrast, Jillian seemed happy as a clam. And why shouldn't she be? It was the yearly draft, and she was getting the chance to see her new beau, Curt Hawkins, all night.

"Can I get you ladies another water?"

A combination of the young man's question and Jillian nudging her with an elbow brought Melina back to reality.

"Hmm? Oh, no... Thank you, Curt."

The blonde flashed a winning bright smile.

"I'll take another one," she said.

"Anything for you, beautiful," Curt said with a wink. He squeezed her hand before leaving.

"Hey, what's the matter with you, Mel?"

The brunette met her best friend's concerned blue eyes. She shrugged.

"You're acting all sorts of distracted," Jillian observed.

Melina bit her lip, her nerves definitely frazzled.

"Well, that's because I am." She closed her eyes as a sigh was released. "I'm sorry, Jill... I'm just worried about tonight's show."

The blonde suddenly realized why her friend would be feeling that way. It wasn't because of her match later, it was due to the fact that Batista was there. Considering how erratic the muscular man had been behaving as of late, it was possible he was capable of anything.

Jillian reached across the table for the other woman's hand. Brown eyes met sympathetic blue.

"Don't worry... Just make sure to surround yourself with friends," she said. "And your man. Where is he again?"

"He has a meeting, along with a couple of other guys, with Vince," she replied. This had come up just before she'd met up with Jillian and Curt, and she'd been so worried over Dave that she hadn't said a word.

"Well, that shouldn't take too long." The busty blonde's face brightened as Hawkins returned. He'd taken a few minutes extra because his friend and tag partner, Zack Ryder, had entered catering. "Thanks, babe." Jillian took the bottle of Poland Spring from him and smiled at the other young man beside her new guy. "Hi, Zack."

"Hey, Jillian... Melina." He frowned slightly upon getting a look at the Latina diva. She appeared as though she had something on her mind, and nervous. "Everything all right?"

"Yeah." Melina's reply was too quick, and she forced a smile for both men's benefit. She really wasn't up to explaining her situation with anyone, though she was certain Jillian had already mentioned it to Curt.

Suddenly, she rose from the table.

"Excuse me."

Jillian gazed after her best friend with concern as the two young men sat down.

"Was it something I said?" Ryder questioned with confusion.

Melina turned back, having overheard that. She didn't want the blond man to take her demeanor the wrong way because he seemed quite nice.

"No, not at all," she said as she lingered in the doorway. "It's just... I have to talk to Mickie, you know... We've got a match later."

Zack nodded and gave her a smile.

* * *

Dave had a slight grin on his face as he stood just outside the women's locker room. He was certain the divas within would be salivating when they got a gander at him. He was freshly showered and already in his ring gear. How could they all resist him?

He knocked, full of sweet anticipation at seeing the one women for whom he'd hoped to encounter. He knew that, deep down, she lusted for him. And frankly, he couldn't blame her.

Lilian Garcia, the RAW ring announcer, answered. She gave him a quick once-over and didn't smile.

"Yes? What can I do for you, Dave?"

Batista smirked at her. He knew the blonde didn't like him, though he'd never given her reason not to.

"You can tell her-" The large man pointed toward a diva who had her back toward the door at the moment as she seemed busy rummaging through her locker. "- that I'd like to speak to her." He flashed Lilian a smile.

"Oh. Sure." The blonde left the doorway, letting the door close as she complied.

A moment later, the object of his attention appeared.

"Dave, hi."

"Hello, Kara," he replied. "I was wondering if you were not too busy at the moment... Would you care to join me at catering?"

The shy blonde smiled.

"All right."

"Great," Batista replied, offering her his arm. She took it, and the two walked down the hallway.

Batista prevented the smirk he felt from crossing his features. Not too much earlier, he'd spotted Melina on her way to catering.

He sincerely hoped she was still there to see him with Kara Drew.


End file.
